BOYNEXTDOOR to release new music in April, label confirms

IU aka Lee Ji-eun is scheduled to headline six huge concerts at arenas all over the U.S. as part of her “HER World Tour.”The sprawling tour, which officially got underway in IU’s home country South Korea on March 2, will mark the first time that the “LILAC” singer will perform in North America.In fact, as of now, she’s never performed outside of Asia.Once she arrives stateside, IU will kick off the tour at Newark, NJ’s Prudential Center on Monday, July 15.After that, she’ll drop into Atlanta’s State Farm Arena (July 19), Washington, D.C.’s Capital One Arena (July 22), Rosemont’s Allstate Arena (July 25), Oakland’s Oakland Arena (July 30) and Los Angeles’ Kia Forum (Aug.

V of BTS will be releasing a brand-new digital single titled ‘Fri(end)s next Friday, Big Hit Music has announced.V made the announcement earlier today (March 4) at midnight KST thought BTS’ social media platforms. The label described the upcoming track as a “love song in the pop soul R&B genre”, and included the first teaser for the upcoming song.

released the first trailer for an upcoming comedy series in which a woman is accidentally turned into a chicken nugget. “A woman steps into an odd machine and becomes… a chicken nugget,” reads the South Korea-produced show’s synopsis on Netflix’s site. “Now, it’s up to her father and admirer to embark on a zany quest to bring her back.” The show, which is expected to hit the streaming site on March 15, stars Ryu Seung-ryong, Ahn Jae-hong and Kim You-jung.Netflix’s protein-packed comedy is directed by Lee Byeong-Heon, whose 2019 film “Extreme Job” also focused on chicken.

K-Pop is going strong in 2024.

SEVENTEEN leader S.Coups has received an exemption from mandatory military service, Pledis Entertainment has confirmed.In a statement to South Korean news outlet Edaily, Pledis Entertainment confirmed earlier reports that SEVENTEEN member S.Coups had been exempted from mandatory military service due to an injury.“Due to a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee joint, S.Coups underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery and anterolateral ligament reconstruction surgery,” the label explained, per Soompi.“Because it was a major surgery, he has been undergoing physical rehabilitation therapy for a long time, starting from last year up until now,” the label added. S.Coups had been absent from SEVENTEEN’s promotions for their ‘Seventeenth Heaven’ as well as the Asian leg of their ‘Follow’ tour since October last year due to the same injury.As a result of the severity of his injury and surgery, the South Korean military classified S.Coups as a Grade 5 during a medical examination determining his ability to serve the military.

Bang Yongguk has announced his upcoming 2024 US tour, titled ‘III’, featuring 11 concerts in April.Today (February 29), Bang Yongguk and his label YY Entertainment announced the dates and venues for the 2024 ‘III’ US tour, which will kick off on April 5 with at concert at the Warsaw in New York City.Thereafter, the rapper will play one-night-only shows in the cities of Louisville, Chicago and Orlando, followed by two concerts in the state of Texas. Those will be held in Dallas and Houston on April 14 and 17.Following those performances, the South Korean musician will hold concerts in Phoenix and Las Vegas, before heading over to California to play shows across three different cities in the state.

It’s tough being a K-pop stan.

NCT WISH have made their official debut with the release of their new single, ‘Wish’, released in both Japanese and Korean.The six-member NCT sub-group released the song as part of their debut single album of the same name. The project also includes one other B-side track, titled ‘Sail Away’.

CRAVITY have released the music video for their new single ‘Love or Die’.According to a press release for the new song, the music video for ‘Love or Die’ is a look at the CRAVITY’s “journey for love”, and shows the boyband’s “heightened confidence and dedication to their love”.“I can’t stop this feeling / I keep falling / I only have this excruciating nightmare / But you are my only dream, love or die,” the K-pop idols sing on the chorus of ‘Love or Die’.‘Love or Die’ is the title track of CRAVITY’s seventh mini-album, ‘Evershine’. The project is their first release of 2024, and follows their September 2023 mini-album, ‘Sun Seeker’.CRAVITY are schedule to perform on Day 2 of We Bridge 2024, which will be held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center and Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada this April.Other artists on the line-up include K-pop girl group NMIXX, co-ed quartet KARD, boyband AMPERS&ONE and more.

NCT’s Taeyong has released his sophomore solo mini-album, ‘Tap’, along with a music video for its title track of the same name.In the whimsical music video for ‘Tap’, Taeyong, dressed in an oversized business suit, wakes up in the closet of an empty ryokan, which kick starts his exploration of Japan, as he searches for Japanese delicacies such as dango, omurice and more.“Tap, tap, tap, tap, tapping on me / Awkward stare and then slinkin’ away / Looks different now, you got that right / Then I’mma stare back like I know nothing,” the NCT leader raps on the song’s funky chorus.‘Tap’ was co-written by Taeyong, while the album’s five remaining B-sides – ‘Moon Tour’, ‘Run Away’, ‘APE’, ‘Ups & Downs’ and ‘404 Loading’ – also credit Taeyong as a co-lyricist. Most of the tracks on the ‘Tap’ record were co-composed and produced by SQUAR, who also worked with Taeyong on his previous solo work.Taeyong first debuted as a solo artist last June with the mini-album ‘SHALALA’, led by a title track of the same name.

Alex Ritman “La Cocina,” the Rooney Mara-starring drama that recently bowed in competition at the Berlinale, has been acquired for most international territories. HanWay Films has closed sales for France (Originals Factory), Australia and New Zealand (Vendetta), Spain (Avalon), Italy (Teodora Film), Benelux (Cherry Pickers), Switzerland (Filmcoopi), Scandinavia (Mis.

Lucas Wong, a former member of boybands NCT and WayV, has addressed his past controversies in a brand-new documentary titled Freeze. Lucas Wong released part one of Freeze on February 24 to his newly opened YouTube channel, who appears to be making his return to the music industry as an artist under SM Entertainment.

CIX have announced the North American leg of their 2024 ‘0 or 1’ tour, featuring concerts in Chicago, New York and more.Tour organiser Studio PAV announced the North American leg of the 2024 ‘0 or 1’ tour at 12 midnight KST today (February 26). CIX’s upcoming trek will feature concerts across eight cities in May 2024.The K-pop idols will kick off their tour with a two-date concert at the Mastercard Hall in Seoul, South Korea on April 6 and 7.

Krystal Jung, best known as a member of girl group f(x), has seemingly signalled her return to music.Today (February 22), Krystal Jung took to Instagram with a new post to announce her new cover of Lalah Hathaway’s 1990 song ‘I’m Coming Back’. Her cover was released on her new Soundcloud page, which also features a cover of Toto’s 1979 song ‘Georgy Porgy’.Notably, the singer’s post was a collaboration with South Korean label Beasts And Natives Alike (BANA), which was founded by Kim Ki-hyun, formerly of SM Entertainment’s A&R team.

BLACKPINK singer Jisoo has officially launched her own solo label, named Blissoo.BLACKPINK’s Jisoo revealed that she has started her own label, called Blisso. In a statement on Instagram Stories, the singer described the launch of Blissoo as her “new start”.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief North American digital distributor Echelon Studios has come on board “12.12: The Day,” the highest grossing film from Korea last year. The film has been on theatrical release in North America, through 815 Pictures since last year and grossed over $1 million.

Warner Bros has dated Mickey 17 for Jan. 31, 2025 — a very odd date for a highly anticipated follow-up from Oscar and Cannes Palme d’Or winning Parasite filmmaker Bong Joon-ho.

Emma Stone, who just won a BAFTA for her performance in “Poor Things” and is nominated for an Oscar, is in talks to reunite with Yorgos Lanthimos on his remake of South Korean fantasy comedy “Save the Green Planet.” The project, which is expected to start shooting in the summer in the U.K. and New York, has been in the works for several years. Jang Joon-hwan, who directed the original South Korean movie, was previously attached to helm the English-language remake, based on a screenplay by Will Tracy, whose credits include HBO’s “Succession” and Searchlight’s “The Menu.” An eccentric black comedy, the story of “Save the Green Planet” revolves around a disillusioned young man who captures and tortures a businessman whom he believes to be part of an alien invasion.

LE SSERAFIM have dropped their third mini-album ‘Easy’, alongside a music video for its title track.The five-piece released both the record and music video today (February 19) at 6pm KST, marking their first new music of 2024. It also marks their first body of work since they released their first full album ‘Unforgiven’ in May last year.In the video treatment for title track ‘Easy’, the five members of LE SSERAFIM strut into what looks like a church, empty aside from overgrowth and trippy neon lights as they begin to perform the choreography for the song.“I could get hurt but keep on walking, kiss me / If it’s hard then I make it easy / Up on the stage, sparks fly off my body / Pull up and I rip it up like ballet,” the group sing on the song’s trap-infused chorus.According to a statement from Source Music, the new album “[enhances] the authenticity of the album’s theme surrounding anxiety and vulnerability beneath a confident exterior”.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent This year, Spain has more titles at the Berlinale’s two TV showcases, Co-Pro Series and Berlinale Market Selects, than any other country in the world— a total of four shows, beating the U.S. with one, and even Germany, which has three. On top of that, running Feb.